BMC commissioner asks staff to gear up for rain-related emergencies

Chahal held a meeting of the disaster management department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC here.The city is being pounded by rains over the last one week.

As Mumbai expects more rains in the next couple of days, municipal commissioner I S Chahal on Thursday asked officials to stay prepared to tackle emergency situations and undertake rescue operations. Chahal held a meeting of the disaster management department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) here.

The city is being pounded by rains over the last one week. On June 29, 19 persons had died in a building collapse in suburban Kurla. Officials should appeal to the residents of dilapidated structures in the city, categorized as `C1 buildings', to vacate the premises, Chahal was quoted as saying in a BMC release.

Temporary shelters should be provided till September-end for people living in such buildings, he said.

Buses of the civic transport body BEST and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) should be arranged if local train services get hit by the monsoon, the commissioner directed.

The department should be ready to run 400 BEST buses and 11 MSRTC buses to ferry stranded train commuters, Chahal said. The commissioner also ordered that potholes on roads should be filled up within 48 hours of receiving complaints. PTI ND KRK KRK